Hello
I have a 1999 x308, and despite a new Donnelly dimming rear view mirror being installed 10 years ago, it has failed again .
I have taken it apart , with the aim of seperating the .mirror and glass to drain the electrochromic fluid and just have a plain mirror . The electronics should still allow the auto headlights etc to work. However the 2 pieces of glass seem to be super glued on. Even a razor blade and heat won't budge the 2 pieces of glass.

Has anyone used an aftermarket Auto dimming mirror and wired it up successfully.? What have other people done in this situation....I know there is a firm in Holland who rebuilds them, but I'd rather not.

Regards
Peter

 

You might try Noma Auto Parts in Texas, or Jaguar Heaven in California to see if you can find a salvage mirror. Google would know the phone numbers. Not sure what they’re worth these days, but I bought one several years ago for around $100 that’s still working fine.

 

Hi osyris,

The leaking auto-dimming mirrors can usually be repaired. Two companies I have used are:

Radar Mirror - Auto Dimming Mirror Repair

Sybsema's Electronics - Auto Dimming Mirror Repair

Prices may have increased, but the last mirror I had repaired by Radar cost about $100 plus shipping, and turnaround was about a week or so.

Cheers,

Don

 

Thanks. I've been needing to get mine fixed for a long time, but dreaded shipping it off somewhere and waiting. Just saw that Radar Mirror is almost local to me. That's where they're having the North Texas Jaguar club's concours next month. Wonder how long it takes, if I could just drop it off in the morning and pick it up before heading home in the afternoon? Heck they probably ought to come set up a tent and fix a few dozen of them.

 

I'm sure I've seen someone post a citreon mirror is identical as far as the glass goes, I can't remember which model it's from but something like a C4 rings a bell. If anyone knows that'd make it much easier to find a replacement part.

 

I’m looking (w/o success so far) for an after market mirror for my X308 that will attach to the same windshield bracket & same wiring harness.

It would be nice to have the auto dimming function & auto headlight function but I probably will accept one with a manual dimming function & just manually turn my lights on & off.


The OEM mirror & the revised version all failed.



Bought my 2000 XJ8 new in 2000.



2007: Had discoloration & missing reflective areas & I contacted Magna Donnelly & filled out their forms & sent my mirror & got a N/C replacement.

Magna had sent me new, old stock that had the liquid/oil rather than the new Gel inside.



4-2012: Replacement mirror had same issue with large oval spot.

Magna Donnelly no longer replaced mirrors & contracted with Sybesma’s Electronics to replace/remanufacture the defective mirrors. I had to pay $95 & pay to send in my mirror. At the time Jaguar was selling new mirrors for $495! So it was a good deal.

(I also called Sybesma’s Electronics & spoke to a tech who said my mirror DID have liquid inside)



8-2025: a few days ago I have a squiggly line that in < 1 week has grown to cover most of the mirror surface width & a new line from top to bottom.

Also the auto headlight function occasionally turns off & I must change the stalk control to “on” to get headlights on again.



Sensor on back of the mirror body seems to be free from any debris (I wiped with cloth)



My mirror has gel rather than liquid inside, According to Sybesma’s Electronics. So hopefully, nothing can leak & damage anything as I search for a replacement mirror.

 

I used Radar Mirror. Very satisfied.

 

If you just want a standard rear view mirror with manual switch for dimming an X300 might be a direct fit.

Alternatively you could just get a glass company to cut you a piece of mirror using your broken glass as a pattern and fit that in the X308 housing. You wouldn’t be able to dim it, but in all the years I’ve been driving I can honestly say I hardly ever feel the need to dim a mirror at night.

 

I've got one sat waiting for me to change it. It's from a Honda Legend 2008 & it looks identical, they were suggested as a replacement on here.
I've not fitted it yet though to confirm the multiplugs are the same though.

 

Thanks for the replies.

@pcolapacker, Yes, I saw that post.
A few years after Magna Donnelly repair/replacement, I was very satisfied..until the same exact problem reoccurred in 2012.

And after Sybesma’s repair/replacement, I was very satisfied..until the same exact problem reoccurred in 2025.

I may try Radar Mirror.

@ Stu 1986, I will look into the X300 RVM.

 

Mirror mirror on the stalk
please perform without a fault
If you die before I junk
you'll find yourself inside the trunk

 

Did you just pop into your local Honda dealer and order it, or get it online?
if online could you show me a link?

Thank you,
Pete

 

I sourced it on ebay after someone on here told me they fit. It's a second hand one but doesn't have the deformation in the mirror my car does, it's like a dirty oval within the glass.

Doesn't look like there's one on there currently though, at least not ebay uk.

 

Today I mailed my RVM to Radar Mirror. Paid them $134 ($119+ 15 return shipping) I paid $16.75 USPS Gnd. Advantage. I insured for $300 in case lost/damaged. Hope 3rd RVM repair stays fixed!

BTW, Radar mirror does offer 1 day shipping. However, $60 shipping instead of $15.

 

I do not use the dimming feature as I feel it contributes to the deterioration of the mirror. I 've bought three 2000 VDPs that has bad mirrors. Swapped them from bone yard cars and have never had one fail since.

 

My broken mirror was delivered Saturday, 8-23-2025.
On F, 8-22-2025, I saw the USPS tracking estimated delivery for Saturday & was concerned that the business is probably closed. I wondered if USPS would consider it undeliverable & return it to me. I emailed Scott at Radar Mirror re this but got no reply.
I got tracking info saying left at front door/porch which made it seem like a private home delivery. I Googled the address & it was a home.
I was concerned that somehow I sent it to the wrong address but double checking the instructions from radar mirror… That was the correct address! I thought maybe it's a home business.
Finally Wednesday, PM 8-27-2025, I called the phone number & was able to speak with Scott who confirmed that he did receive my package but had not opened it yet. I was relieved that he received the pkg.

Same day PM I received an email from Radar Mirror/Scott: “Your mirror housing is cracked from it being opened previously. Opening it again may make it worse. I will do the best I can with it. “

Now I was worried he’d say cannot repair it. He also sent photos of my mirror showing some small cracks on the housing that I never noticed. (This is the 3rd repair from the 3rd company…as I posted earlier)

Next day, 8-28-2025, I got a shipping/tracking email from Radar Mirror.

I did not know if it had been repaired or if due to cracks was just being sent back to me. The time between his email telling me about the cracks & the shipping notice seemed too short for him to have repaired it.

8-28-25, 5:07 PM email re cracks & telling me not sure can repair.
8-28-25, 5:19 PM shipping email.

Only 12 minutes to repair it and trigger a shipping email?

I emailed Scott to ask if it had been repaired.
YES! He replaced the cell & it should not go bad again.

I was very relieved!

I watched the UPS tracking updates & finally it was delivered 9-5-2025.
I can see the glued(?) repair of crack at top & looks OK . Will not be noticeable. Glass looks good w/o the spiderweb pattern.
I reinstalled (With much difficulty) same day.

Main issue, as b4, was the main attachment to windshield is not tight enough. I tried blue thread locker on the clips that slide onto that metal rectangle that is attached to the Windshield. No help. It fell off as I worked on the wire harness connection in the center console.

Dropping the Roof CC is somewhat easy, need flashlight to see the plastic screw in the sunglasses case, in order to turn it 90˚ w/o stripping the plastic screw (even in daylight). That drops the back end, closest to you in the driver seat, at an angle. But I needed to unclip the front large 2 clips & they were difficult to put back into place. The one closest top passenger side kept coming out of the roof metal slot! I finally used tape to hold it in place as I worked the CC so both front clips went through the slots in the CC.
Mostly working by feel, but also using a flashlight and peering into the approximate 1 inch gap, when I had CC almost in place so I could see that that troublesome passenger side clip was in the right spot, as I worked it to get the driver side clip in the right spot. Once the Plastic screw (I only dropped it 1x LOL) was secured I turned to the difficult task of getting the mirror attached to windshield, w/o wobbling & then dealing with the brittle plastics.I had previously used TESA cloth tape with Heat resistance & used that again.

Tesa 51035 High Performance PET Cloth Automobile Wire Harness Tape

Some of my plastics which are quite broken are only held in place with this tape!

I had it looking good, but it was still wobbling so I removed the tape, removed the plastics and I did what I think I had done years ago with different tape.

I finally took the mirror off the windshield again and put two pieces of cloth tape on the right and left of the metal rectangle on the windshield in order to give the clips something thicker to grab onto!

The mirror seems to hold much better and I still used a thin strip of cloth tape on either side b4 I reinstall the plastic (again securing with thin strips of cloth tape.)

Years ago, I tried w/o success, to source a replacement clip so I could attempt to use pliers to bend my existing clips so they would hold the windshield tabs much tighter. My concern was breaking the clip & not having a replacement!

Note: I also secured the rain sensor disc to the glass with some cloth tape, since it has lost adhesive ability long ago. If it is not tightly attached to the window glass I do not think the rain sensing will work. It never worked well since when wipers set to auto/rain sensing, they wipe if you go over a bump or tap the mirror!

I remember noticing this problem during my initial 4 yr. warranty. And having Jaguar replace the sensor at least once without any help at all. So, I made them show me a new XJ8 and the salesman demonstrated that with the wiper set to auto… If he tapped the mirror they would wipe… LOL !

I pushed the bottom auto button on the mirror & the green LED lights up.
I test drove & with car headlights behind me I see no difference with that Auto button on or off!

So, I very much doubt that the automatic headlight dimming function works! I do not know if it ever worked or if after the first or second or this third repair it was broken.

At least leaving headlight stalk on AUTO seems to still work.

My total cost including shipping to Radar Mirror = $150.75. I consider it worth it even w/o the auto dimming feature.

I sure hope this is the final time I ever have to remove & reinstall this mirror!